At last, the Men In Black have arrived! But these MIBs, unlike the ones in the popular films, are not here to help. In fact, they are not quite human! Certainly, they are from no government agency on this planet. Most of the literature dealing with this phenomenon suggests that these mysterious creatures as closely related to the UFOs that they are “investigating.” They are often described as having a strange appearance, wearing clothes and driving cars that are out of date, yet in pristine condition. They sometimes have difficulty speaking or breathing. Some sound as if the words they say are only memorized and are foreign to them. Some reports mention that they do not move their lips but their robotic-like voices are heard telepathically. Simple concepts are unknown to them, and they generally act strange. They come and go quickly, leaving no trace.

That describes these MIBs. The poor dopes don’t realize what they are up against, never having threatened a cranky old zombie before. Join us next time and see who intimidates who.

These little creatures have been popping up for decades. They were first described in literature by H.G. Wells in his 1901 book The First Men in the Moon. They were frequently portrayed throughout the 1930s in science fiction pulp magazines, like Amazing Stories. But by the early 1950s, they were closely associated with UFO-related phenomenon. Stories of the Roswell crash include claims that small pilots were recovered in the wreckage.

Many cases of alien abduction include these greys carrying out the tasks of experimenting on helpless victims. As if they were not already ingrained into pop culture, they got a boost in popularity in 1987 in the book, Communion by Whitley Strieber, who claimed repeated visitations from them.

Extraterrestrial anal probers or mass hallucinations? Whatever these strange creatures may be, it seems likely that they have had many disguises down through recorded history. Could this same phenomenon be responsible for stories of angels, demons, fairies and leprechauns? Could be! Could be!

One of the common elements of the alien abduction encounters is the trip in the space ship to other worlds. It was first suggested in the 1930s in the science fiction pulp stories. Then abruptly in 1946 the fiction became real when George Adamski began seeing flying craft regularly in and around his home at the Palomar Mountain area. George was an unremarkable Polish immigrant who settled in California and an avid reader of pulp magazines.

On November 20, 1952, Adamski claimed he was given a ride in a flying saucer by a friendly Venusian named Orthon. He wrote about his voyages in many books. He was never deterred by those who insisted he was a fraud. Until his death in 1965, George made a successful career lecturing about the experiences.

Since we are touching on all facets of the UFO phenomenon, it’s only fair that Marge gets a lift in an alien craft. For a zombie, she gets around. Next week, Marge has a close encounter of her own. Will there be any probing involved? Join us and see!

Though less well known to the general public, holes in the ice are a phenomenon closely linked to UFO appearances. Like crop circles, large perfectly round holes in the ice have appeared in areas of unexplained activity.

Fortean author Ivan T. Sanderson made the connection between UFOs and bodies of water in his book “Invisible Residents” in 1970. While others were watching the skies for signs of the unknown lights, Sanderson speculated that their point of origin was below the oceans. He saw the strange craft as a terrestrial phenomenon and tied it to the appearances of elusive monsters like the Loch Ness monster and other strange lake creatures.

This seemed like a dramatic entrance for Marge’s first encounter with these unknown forces. I also wanted this flashback to be a different style than the rest of the story and chose to render it entirely in Adobe Illustrator, without ink lines and in a blue monochrome. Her tale continues next week.